(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a shield conductor used in a power circuit of a vehicle such as an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, etc. More particularly, it relates to a shield conductor for connecting a battery pack and a high voltage distribution box, which constitute a power circuit of an electric vehicle.
(b) Background Art
Environmentally-friendly vehicles such as hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, etc., are vehicles which produce fewer environmental emissions than internal combustion engine vehicles and are typically powered (at least in part) by a motor driven by a battery used as a power source rather than purely by an internal combustion engine powered. Due to recent environmental awareness of consumers, the importance of low carbon and high efficiency vehicles has gradually emerged into a growing market due as well to the increase in oil prices.
Electric vehicles are powered by either an AC or DC motor driven by electric power from a battery and include a mechanism for supplying both the power required to drive the vehicle and the power required for electrical and electronic devices mounted in the vehicle using the power generated from a rotor (i.e. coil) of a shaft which is connected to the motor which is configured to generate a driving force.
The motor is connected to an inverter, a battery pack, etc., by an electrical connection line. Here, the battery pack is electrically connected to a high voltage distribution box for supplying electrical power to various electrical loads, and a safe connection line is required for the electrical connection between the battery pack and the high voltage distribution box. Typically, the connection line includes a line having three insulated electrical conductors such as shielded and unshielded conductors, and these conductors are surrounded by an electrical shield as well.
For example, a shield (screen) conductor used in a power circuit of the electric vehicle functions to shield conductors, to prevent thermal damage, and to protect the wires and has a structure in which a plurality of wires are inserted into a cylindrical metal protector. Here, the wires project from both ends of the protector and are connected to various devices. The cylindrical metal protector connects the battery pack and the high voltage distribution box and is bent to avoid interference with peripheral devices and to fit the surface of a vehicle floor panel.
In hybrid vehicles released in at least Korea, a shield member is typically surrounded by a synthetic resin protector to protect the shield member and wires. However, when the synthetic resin protector is used or when the metal protector for surrounding the shielded and unshielded wires is used in foreign vehicles, the number of parts is increased significantly.
Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2007-157435 and 2007-080692 disclose the use of such shield conductors. However, these techniques have the following problems. First, when wires are inserted into a protector, the wires are scratched by sharp edges of both ends of the protector, and when the protector is mounted on the vehicle floor panel and bent to avoid interference with peripheral devices, the wires are twisted within the to protector. Moreover, the shield conductors are vulnerable to the introduction of foreign materials or water, and thus it is very difficult to maintain perfect airtightness therein.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.